Red Planarian in Red Bush

[Subsea]

55G display is infested with flat worms. This was an ornamental seaweed & sponge tank along with some gsp.

I intend to salvage ornamentals from this tank using dips & isolation/inspection.

 

[KrisReef]

KCL dips?

 

[Subsea]

KCL dips?

I am not familiar with that. Can you elaborate or link info.

I used fresh water soak for 10 minutes. It killed pods as well. Both Gracilaria Hayi on bottom & Bortacladia on top in 1G jar. Will observe for 48 hours.

I can see two very large pods on bottom of jar. I suspect isopods because something eliminated flatworms in isolation box hung on side of infested tank. 30 days earlier, their were numerous Red Planaria.

 

[Fish Fan]

KCl is how those smart guys say Potassium Chloride

 

[KrisReef]

KCl is how those smart guys say Potassium Chloride

Actually, smart people can spell potassium chloride while others like me struggle to put together KCl most of the time.

2 tablespoons per gallon(~3.75 l), and when I dip I usually use about a liter (1000 mls) and therefore everytime I have to calculate how many teaspoons I need to be effective against worms on corals. I generally find a Google calculator to check my work, again, everytime cause I CRS,


EDIT: KCl in TANK WATER, to avoid osmotic damage to the aquatic weed

 

[Subsea]

Thanks for the info.

With respect to osmotic shock, I already dipped two batches in fresh water. For certain I killed flatworms. The second batch
( Bortacladia & Gracilaria Hayi) is under observation in 1G jug. The first batch of red macro algae (Gracilaria Hayi only) is under observation in 15G mixed growout tank.

 

[Subsea]

Because of the complexity of sponges, I see the use of KCl as my first option with standard coral dip as a second option. Yellow ball sponges are the best looking & most abundant; with orange elephant ear sponges next abundant. I will have to clean glass when lights come on in the morning.

Also in the morning when lights come on, I will use a soft toothbrush on sponges with Cyanobacteria.

 

[Subsea]

On 55G tank, HOB refugium, I decided to use snails to clean sides and added more red macro that is full of large amphipods & numerous copepods.

 

[Subsea]

KCL dips?

I may be doing more than a dip. I let them soak for 2 hours and am pleased with what I see. Initially response was everything had a slight white slime, then I noticed Red Planaria turning white then clear then dissolving.

 

[Subsea]

Discarded all water from 1G jug and replaced with seasoned water from mature tank. The yellow ball sponge had some Cyanobacteria which disappeared. All sponges look great.

 

[Subsea]

Second batch done in small ice chest included; Green Star Polyps, Gracilaria Hayi and several sponges. Observed for 2 hours then flushed coral and macro with tap water and added to grow out tank. Sponges returned to observation jar for 48 hours.

 

[Subsea]

More is not always better.

For certain, I eliminated Red Planaria. And sponges were cleaned up with no ill effects noted. However, Red Ogo was damaged and will recover but Green Star Polyps were destroyed.

4 tablespoons of KCl for 2 hours is tooooo much. I will reduce to 2 tbls for 20 minutes and observe for 2 days.

 

[Subsea]

I just purchased 2 used 6G AIO tanks to upgrade inspection evaluation of flatworm eradication.

 

[Subsea]

Tank on left has mollies on first day of transition from fresh to marine at 35ppt. They start out in Aquifier water with a TDS of 1050ppm. Tomorrow, I will remove fresh water plants and replace 1G with full strength ocean water from a 25 year mature tank.

Tank on right has mystery red seaweed after it went thru fresh water bath for 20 minutes. I think the osmotic shock to seaweed has its drawbacks. Next bath of seaweed, I will use 2 tablespoons of potassium chloride per gallon of water for 20 minutes.

 

[Subsea]

One step forward, but I refuse to go back two steps.

To better explain;
after four days observation of red seaweed, I removed the ornamental red macro algae from 6G AIO and brought in some mature live rock from 150G Rubbermaid tub with beaucoup pods everywhere. I then brought in some Yellow ball sponges and some orange elephant ear sponges as well as two deep water NPS gorgonians from mature display tanks. Then later this evening I saw several red flatworms (I think).

If I see them in the morning, I plan to treat the whole 6G isolation tank with 2 tablespoons of potassium chloride per gallon for 20 minutes. I hate to think on pod collateral damage,

Eradication of Red Planaria is the priority.

 

[Subsea]

I dosed 10 table spoons of potassium chloride in 6G AIO. The effect was immediate with peppermint shrimp attempting to jump out of tank. I caught all three and transferred to 15G growout tank. After 10 minutes, I drained all available water at 4G, so I overdosed by 2 tablespoons in 4G, about 25% overdose.

I considered turning out the lights so I don’t see.

However,
It’s not a meltdown, as the hermit crabs have survived.

 

[Subsea]

A chitan survived and to my surprise, I see two asterina starfish.

 

[Subsea]

It’s no longer a controlled experiment with so many changes in variables: live rock brought in from 150G tub, sponges brought in from 120G & 75G display tanks.

I decided to bring in some Red macro algae to absorb minerals in the water. When I sent Gracilaria Parvispora to agriculture lab for analysis the N:P ratio was 30:1 and the K:N ratio was 5:1 with the K:P ratio of 150:1. So we shall sequester potassium into red seaweed.

And to get back into festive season, I added a small rock of Green Star Polyps.

 

[Subsea]

After four days transitioning to full salt, I added one of the female black molies to the rock tank. Within minutes, molly was grazing on live rock. So I will add the rest of the mollies to the rock tank.
During the course of those four days, two seperate spawns of mollies have occurred. The infants are hiding amongst the seaweed.

 

[Subsea]

So now, I have Twin Towers, two 6G AIO.

Tank on right is in quarantine for 60 days observation after undergoing potassium chloride treatment for eradication of red planaria.

Tank on left is to develop “designer live rock”. The live rocks were brought from 150G Rubbermaid growout system and are covered with pods. I intend to build entry level and advanced level; entry level will include soft coral (GSP & Xenia) seaweed: Bortacladia, Gracilaria Hayi, Red Ogo and in green (Feather Caulerpa, Codium)

Advanced level ‘designer live rock” is a joint venture between Aquaculture Ranch & Aquadome, Austin LFS. My input will include sponges of differrent colors and as well as NPS deep water gorgonians.